Poor semen quality and ROS-TAC scores in patients with idiopathic infertility.
BACKGROUND
To compare the semen quality score and the seminal oxidative stress reactive oxygen species (ROS) and total antioxidant capacity (ROS-TAC score) in men with idiopathic infertility with normal donors and to a known group of fertile and infertile men.


METHODS
Principal component analysis was applied to provide a standardized score in 36 men with idiopathic infertility and 19 controls attending our infertility clinic. A logistic regression analysis comparing the fertile and infertile men was used.


RESULTS
Compared to controls, patients with idiopathic infertility had significantly lower sperm concentration, sperm motility and normal morphology (p < 0.05) and lower semen quality scores (83.0 +/- 14.5 vs. 100.0 +/- 10.0; p < 0.001). Compared to controls, the ROS levels were higher in the idiopathic infertility group (2.3 +/- 0.21 vs. 1.3 +/- 0.3; p = 0.006), whereas the TAC levels were lower in the idiopathic infertility (1,014.75 +/- 79.22 vs. 1,653 +/- 115.29; p = 0.001). Idiopathic infertility patients had lower ROS-TAC scores (32.8 +/- 14.2) than controls (50.0 +/- 10.0) (p < 0.001). 64% of men with idiopathic infertility will remain infertile during 1-year follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with idiopathic infertility have lower scores of semen quality and ROS-TAC.
Pasqualotto
Fábio F
FF
Glickman Urological Institute, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. fabio@conception-rs.com.br
Sharma
Rakesh K
RK
Pasqualotto
Eleonora B
EB
Agarwal
Ashok
A
D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D048430:Cell Shape; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D055101:Semen Analysis; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*
D000975:Antioxidants; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species